Both Sarah Treem (L) and Kasi Lemmons (R) are part of the mentoring program. (L) (Sasha Maslov/The New York Times); (R) (Chad Batka/The New York Times)

Indigenous Media announced this week that it will partner with five mentors to launch an incubator program to help female writers and directors in creating new dramatic works. In partnership with Women In Film Los Angeles, the Producers Guild of America’s Women’s Impact Network, the Women’s Project Lab, the Alliance of Women Directors, the Kilroys and the Lillys, the new incubator will be called Made By Women and the first set of mentors will include Lesli Linka Glatter (of Homeland), Kasi Lemmons (Eves Bayou), Betty Thomas (Private Parts), Mimi Leder (The Leftovers), and Sarah Treem (The Affair), according to Variety.

“Women are an appalling minority when it comes to serving as directors and showrunners. We hope this initiative will, in some small but concrete way, begin to rectify this situation,” said Jon Avnet, one of Indigenous Media’s three male CEOs. The group will also finance a short on the pilot script of each mentor/mentee, with opportunity to produce a full-length.